ESSAYS ON THE EVOLUTION OF IDEAS ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ENERGY AND MENTAL HEALTH FROM THE AGE OF ENCYCLOPAEDISM TO THE EMERGENCE OF PSYCHOANALYSIS

Nemtsov Vyacheslav Borisovich

This article is dedicated to exploring the evolution of ideas about the connection between energy and human mental health, beginning with the Age of Encyclopedism in the 17th-18th centuries and concluding with the emergence of psychoanalysis in the early 20th century. The focus is on scientific discoveries that laid the foundation for the idea of a connection between physical and mental energy. In particular, the works of Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta are discussed, as they made it possible to study bioelectric processes in the body. These discoveries contributed to the development of theories linking the functioning of the nervous system to mental processes. In the 19th century, Ernst von Brücke was the first to apply thermodynamic principles to mental phenomena, viewing the psyche as an energy system, which significantly influenced the development of psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud expanded these ideas by proposing the concept of libido — a form of psychic energy that drives human behavior and emotions. His work laid the groundwork for psychoanalysis, which was later expanded upon by Carl Jung. Jung broadened the concept of psychic energy, incorporating symbolic, spiritual, and collective unconscious aspects. The article also examines modern understandings of psychic energy in the context of cognitive processes, emotional intelligence theory, and their role in maintaining mental health.

Keywords:energy, mental health, bioelectric processes, psychoanalysis, libido, thermodynamics, psychic energy, Freud, Jung, cognitive processes